How Cristiano Ronaldo became the first billionaire footballer

That valuation takes into account Ronaldo’s career earnings, as well as investments and endorsement deals.

It is 22 years since English football was introduced to Ronaldo, coming on as a 61st-minute substitute for Nicky Butt with Manchester United leading Bolton Wanderers by a single goal in a match they eventually won 4-0.

There had been a full season with Sporting Lisbon and six followed at Manchester United before nine at Real Madrid and four at Juventus, before a brief return to Old Trafford and then another cash-laden move to Saudi Arabia. Throughout it all, fuelled by lucrative endorsements, investments and record-breaking salaries, Ronaldo’s wealth and brand have skyrocketed so that now he stands alone.

Between that debut for United and 2023 Ronaldo earned £410million in salary and £14million annually through his deal with Nike. There were other major endorsements, with the likes of Castrol and Armani, that have earned him about £175million.

In terms of footballing salary, the move to Saudi and the little-known, Riyadh-based Al-Nassr, who had crowds of fewer than 6,000 at the end of last season, was akin to striking gold. The 2023 deal he signed was worth an annual salary of about £150million, tax-free, as well as a £20million signing-on bonus.

The two-year extension he signed in June to stay with the club is on the same terms, banking him another £300million.

Ronaldo and those around him have always been aware of more than just his on-field potential.

Miguel Marques, a Portuguese private banker, helps to manage Ronaldo’s wealth through Lisbon-based LMcapital Wealth Management. Ronaldo is said to rely on a close circle of friends and advisers for his investments. He bought the Lisboa Racket Centre and is involved in the construction of the City of Padel, near Oeiras, which will feature 17 courts.

There has been investment in Portugal, Ronaldo’s home country, in the form of a hotel chain, Pestana CR7 Lifestyle Hotels, gyms and a media group.

There is a real estate portfolio, including a mansion in Madeira, where he was born, a penthouse in Lisbon and he is completing an estate in Quinta da Marinha that will cost about £15million. The new mansion is thought to have plans to include a giant glass swimming pool with an underwater walkway, and is thought to be Portugal’s most expensive property development.

In 2024 he sold his private jet, the Gulfstream G200, and bought a new Bombardier Global 6500 jet worth £61million.

In social media terms he leads the way, with 665million followers on Instagram.

However, for all the diversification, the investment and the drive to be as smart and cute off the pitch as he has been on it as a player, the main driver of wealth has remained his playing prowess and the record-breaking contracts he has signed. It is thought that his latest contract at Al-Nassr involves a 15 per cent future stake in the club.

What seems unique to Ronaldo reaching this feat then, is that he did it with his feet. There are other sporting billionaires, including the former Arsenal midfielder, Mathieu Flamini, who runs a biochemical company that is reportedly worth about £20billion. Michael Jordan, worth about £2.5billion, made less than £100million in his playing career and Roger Federer, with a wealth of $1.1billion (about £830million), made much of that from a stake he took in a running apparel brand, On Holdings AG, as part of a sponsorship deal.

Click here to read article